Introduction:
The inclusion of new technologies in daily life has led, in recent years, to new forms of social interaction. The use of the internet, and more specifically, social networks, has become a basic tool for social communication, especially among young people. Mainly, Z-generation, also known as centennials (those born between 1997-2012) and millennial (those born between 1981-1996) students. The main objective of this work was to analyze the use that university students make of social networks such as type, frequency and purpose.

Methods:
A self-designed anonymous social networking questionnaire was used in a sample of students in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Valencia, Spain. WOOCLAP was the program used to gather insights from students about their use of social networks in daily life and to better understand their preferences regarding these platforms.

Results:
Among the surveyed university students, predominantly female (72%), Z-generation prevails, accounting for 93% of the sample, followed by Millennials at 6% and other generations at 1%. These generations, recognized as digital natives, have either grown up with or been immersed in technology since birth. Indeed, 100% of respondents report daily use of social media. Among these, Instagram and TikTok are the preferred platforms. The activities conducted on these platforms include leisure and social interaction (69%), information seeking (19%) and professional development (5%), among others. The predominant time spent on social media ranges from 2 to 5 hours daily, indicating a trend towards increased usage compared to data published in previous studies (approximately 1 hour). These findings highlight the pervasive presence of social media in students’ daily lives and confirm its multifaceted role as a space for both leisure and informal learning.

Conclusion:
Our study highlights the growing importance of social networks in contemporary society, where it has been observed that university students primarily use them for entertainment and interpersonal communication. Considering that the traditional teaching-learning paradigm has not advanced in tandem with technological progress, the opportunity arises to utilize social networks, such as Instagram/Tiktok, as a university pedagogical tool. Their incorporation into academic practice could foster more dynamic, participatory, and student-centered learning environments. To effectively leverage these platforms, however, educators must acquire the digital skills and pedagogical strategies required to use them in a critical and purposeful manner—aligning instructional methods with the communicative preferences and digital culture of contemporary students.

Keywords: University students, Z-generation, Millennials, social networks, teaching-learning.